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Chicken Tetrazzini is a delicious, Italian style casserole with a creamy white sauce. Lightly dredge 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in ½ cup of flour mixed with salt and pepper. Sauté the chicken breasts in 3 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat for 7 minutes on each side or until the juices run clear. Set the chicken aside until it is cool enough to handle. Boil 12 oz. whole wheat linguine noodles as directed on the package.
For the sauce, make a roux with 2 tbsp. butter and 2 tbsp. flour in a large sauce pan. Cook the flour and butter over medium heat for 3 minutes until the roux is golden in color. Turn the heat to medium-low and add 1 lb. sliced white mushrooms, 2 tbsp. chopped garlic and 1/2 cup of chopped onions to the pan. Saute the vegetables with roux for 5 minutes until the onion is translucent and the mushrooms have lost most of their water. Season the pan with 1 tbsp. oregano and salt and pepper. Add ½ cup of dry white wine to the pan and cook it for 4 minutes or until the liquid reduces by half. Add 1 cup chicken broth and 3 cups room temperature reduced fat milk and bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the sauce to a simmer and cook it for 10 minutes until it thickens. Add 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese to the sauce, then remove it from the heat.
Drain the noodles and cut the chicken into bite-size chunks. In a large casserole dish, toss the pieces of chicken with the noodles. Mix in 1 cup of frozen peas and 2 heads of chopped broccoli. Pour the sauce over the noodles and chicken and stir until everything is incorporated. Sprinkle ½ cup of parmesan cheese on top of the casserole, then bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F, until the sauce is bubbling. -
Transform the classic creamy chicken casserole into a healthy dinner by replacing fattening ingredients with healthier choices and adding more vegetables. Brown 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a sauté pan with 2 tbsp. olive oil. Cook the chicken for 7 minutes on each side, until the juices run clear. Meanwhile, boil 12 oz. whole wheat spiral noodles as directed on the package. Chop 2 cloves of garlic, ½ an onion, 1 head of broccoli and ½ lb. of asparagus. Sauté the onions and garlic with 2 tbsp. of olive oil in a large pan. Cook for 4 minutes until the onions and garlic are fragrant, then add the chopped vegetables and 1 cup of frozen peas. Cook the vegetables for 4 minutes until they turn bright green.
For the sauce, make a roux with 2 tbsp. butter and 2 tbsp. flour in a large sauce pan. Cook the flour and butter over medium heat for 3 minutes until the roux is golden in color. Add 2 tbsp. chopped onion and cook until the onion is translucent. Add 2 cups room temperature reduced fat milk and season with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil then simmer it for 10 minutes until it thickens. Stir in 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Drain the noodles and place them in a large casserole dish along with the vegetables. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and add it to the noodles. Mix the noodles, chicken, and vegetables together then over them with the sauce. Mix the casserole well and sprinkle the top with ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese and ¼ of bread crumbs. Bake the casserole for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F until it is bubbling.
